The head of the Croatian police directorate Vladimir Faber stated last night that they did not reach the suspect for the murder of Ivana Hodak “totally by chance”, and that the police were helped a lot by the fact that the suspect did not dispose of the weapon that he killed her with.

“I would not agree that it (the discovery of the suspect) occurred totally by chance. We had one lead from the crime scene, and it was a shell of 7.65mm calibre” said Faber in a statement for Nova TV.

He added that the police, with the systematic work and not rejecting any hypothesis, even when “such a murder” was in question, analysed all weapons with that calibre (berretta 7.65mm) and sent it to be tested.

Lack of experts

When journalists asked why the police needed so long, because the weapon was found at the beginning of December, and if it was normal for tests to last two months, Faber said that the police tested all weapons of that calibre, and that it was not only that pistol that was tested.

He stressed that the police do not have a large number of experts.

The press also asked how the murderer was found, if he showed any remorse, and if he described the crime in detail. Faber answered that this was a question for the police officers, and that he only has general information.

“In a certain sense he showed some regret, but not remorse” he added.

Murderer did not have accomplices

“The case has totally been enlightened, one perpetrator is in question, and the motives presented at the police press conferences are the only ones. He did not have any accomplices or anyone who gave the order, nor were there any other motives” said Faber.

After questions from the press, Faber denied that this was the first murder they solved since he was appointed to his position, and he said that three murder cases were solved in Zagreb that were linked to loan sharks.

He added that the murder of Ivo Pukanic and Niko Franjic was also solved.

“From a criminological point of view, in the limits of ability of the Croatian police, the case is finalised. There is a founded suspicion, the perpetrators are in custody, and nearly all questions have been answered” said Faber.

When asked “what is with the person who ordered the murder of Ivo Puknic” he said that the further flow of criminal processing depends on neighbouring countries before all.